The Mountain That Fed The World: A Strategic Framework For Risk-Adapted Heritage Protection in Potosí

Master’s thesis by ​​Elif Ertemiz

Supervised by:
Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Christa Reicher
Prof. Em. Dr. Ing. Andrea Haase

Advisored by:
Dr.-Ing. Javier Ostos Prieto
Dr.-Ing. Fabio Bayro Kaiser

Keywords:
Colonial Mining Landscape, Silver Extraction, Vulnerability Atlas, Planning Toolkit, Adaptive Capacity, Cerro Rico, Heritage Values.

Thesis Abstract

Once synonymous with immeasurable wealth, Potosí was defined in global language as a measure of value, worth a Potosí. The city was shaped over centuries of silver extraction from Cerro Rico, the rich mountain. Potosí evolved through the economy, labour relations, and everyday urban life around the production of values. Like a double-sided coin, one face structured values, while with the same foundations, the other face embedded dependency, exposure to risk, and long-term vulnerability into the city’s structure. What once produced value now underlies heritage risk. Grounded in the city’s inherent uncertainty, this research addresses the question: How can Potosí’s heritage system be addressed through a risk-adapted planning approach?

The methodology develops a planning model structured around three interrelated domains: Territory, Community, and Governance. The research utilises an indicator framework to translate place-based and interview-based evidence into a consistent format, enabling a comparative vulnerability assessment across different spatial and actor positions. Two primary instruments are introduced: a Vulnerability Atlas, which maps urban, social, and institutional fragilities, and a card-based Planning Toolkit, designed to translate these analytical readings into actionable strategies.

By reframing adaptation as a model of coexistence between heritage and inherited risk, the thesis proposes a move away from static preservation toward a system-aware, grounded planning framework. The work concludes that a risk-adapted approach, supported by these tools, enables heritage protection to negotiate long-standing territorial tensions, ensuring the continuity of value through iterative and contextual urban management.